UCLan announces major plans to build UK’s first campus in Thailand

Students from South East Asia and across the globe to experience UK gold standard of Higher Education through superlative learning and living environment

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has announced exciting plans to establish the UK’s first private university campus in Bangkok, Thailand.

At a ceremony on Tuesday, 10 January 2012, an official agreement was signed between the University and Thai-based entrepreneur Mr Sitichai Charoenkajonkul which pledges both parties to work in close collaboration to create a full-scale university campus. UCLan will invest £7.5 million in the venture.

Built to an exacting UCLan specification, and subject to the granting of an educational licence, the new facility plans to open the doors to its first cohort of students in June 2014. 

The campus will offer full-time and part-time undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation degree courses in subject areas that include business, built and natural environment, engineering, creative and performing arts and languages.

Located within the Bangkok metropolitan area and within easy reach of the city centre, the new facility will initially be home to 800 students with a planned capacity of 5000 in ten years.

Commenting on the new development UCLan Vice-Chancellor Malcolm McVicar said: “UCLan has made huge strides in the last ten years and the qualities of innovation, entrepreneurship and enterprise remain at the heart of everything we do. We have students from over 120 countries and some 125 partnerships across the globe but we are now entering a new phase of exciting development which will see us build campuses outside the UK.

"Our Thailand project is an ideal fit and will enable us to become the first UK university to build a campus in Thailand; thereby extending our international links and bringing world-class higher education and our view of a superlative student experience to South East Asia.” 

The new campus will undertake high-impact research, work closely with local employers and enable overseas students to study for a UK award. 

UK-based students will also benefit, helping the University achieve a crucial element of its new UCLan Advantage* package, which guarantees every full-time, undergraduate student enrolling in the autumn of 2012 with the opportunity to obtain a global experience or study period abroad as a standard part of their degree programme.

It is envisaged that the student body will blend those from Thailand and South East Asia with expats, UCLan students based in the UK and those from other international locations to create a vibrant international community. 

Malcolm McVicar continued: “The courses we provide will ensure that those who choose to study at our campus in Bangkok will be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully secure employment both within the regional market and globally.

“At an undergraduate level our market research shows that in Thailand nationally there is strong demand for all our proposed academic subject areas while the postgraduate market looks even more encouraging with UK MBA qualifications particularly sought-after.  

“Drawing on the strength of some of our partnerships with global brands, we will deliver courses which are bespoke for the Asian market while providing the gold standard of a UK university experience.”

UCLan will assume responsibility for the operational management and academic control of all campus programmes.  All teaching will be carried out in English with some UCLan academics relocating from the UK while the degrees awarded will be University of Central Lancashire qualifications.